Whenever You Need Somebody

This article is about the Rick Astley album. For the title song, see Whenever You Need Somebody (song).

Whenever You Need Somebody
Studio album by Rick Astley
Released	16 November 1987 (1987-11-16)
Recorded	1986–1987
Studio	PWL Studios 1 & 2 (London)
Genre	Pop dance-pop [1]
Length	36:42
Label	RCA
Producer	Stock Aitken Waterman Phil Harding Ian Curnow Daize Washbourn
Rick Astley chronology
Whenever You Need Somebody (1987) Hold Me in Your Arms (1988)
Singles from Whenever You Need Somebody
"Never Gonna Give You Up" Released: 27 July 1987 "Whenever You Need Somebody" Released: 19 October 1987 "When I Fall in Love" Released: 30 November 1987 "Together Forever" Released: 15 February 1988 [2] "It Would Take a Strong Strong Man" Released: July 1988 (US)

Whenever You Need Somebody is the debut studio album by English singer Rick Astley, released on 16 November 1987 by RCA Records. It is his highest-selling album and has sold 15.2 million copies worldwide. ^[3] The album is listed as the 136th best-selling album in Spain ^[4] and was the seventh best-selling album of 1987 in the United Kingdom. ^[5] A remastered version, containing rare remixes and extended versions, was released on 12 April 2010. ^[6]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
New Musical Express	7/10 [7]
Smash Hits	9/10 [8]
The Village Voice	D+ [9]

Alex Henderson of AllMusic stated that SAW "should definitely be proud of their work" on this "often captivating debut album" which "proved [the singer] to be a welcome addition to the British R&B scene"; he added that the "music approach is very much a production of the '70s" and underlined tracks like "Together Forever", "Never Gonna Give You Up" and "Don't Say Goodbye". ^[1] Much more critical of both SAW and Astley, Robert Christgau of The Village Voice ranked the album in the "Must to avoid" category, and added: "Musically [Astley]'s a throwback to such long-forgotten big-band singers manqué as Don Rondo" revealed "as I-am-somebody for nobodies with a master plan". ^[9] James Hamilton of Record Mirror presented the album as being "as vigorously voiced and unsubtle as you'd expect". ^[10] Carmen Keats of Melody Maker described the album as "Yuppie-boy muzak for those too poor and thick to be Yuppies." ^[11] According to a reviewer of British magazine Music Week , the album proves Astley to be "a respectable if so far unexceptional writer", but concluded that the tone of the whole album is given by SAW's team. ^[12] Chris Heath of Smash Hits praised the album full of songs with "the same straightforward, deliriously catchy dance music as his first two hits", and underlined "Don't Say Goodbye" and "When I Fall in Love" as "brilliant" songs. ^[8] Retrospectively, in 2018, Mark Elliot of Classic Pop considered Whenever You Need Somebody as the ninth best album ever produced by Stock Aitken Waterman and underlined its worldwide success, selling 15 million copies. ^[13]

Track listing

All tracks written and produced by Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman, except where noted.

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Never Gonna Give You Up"			3:35
2.	"Whenever You Need Somebody"			3:52
3.	"Together Forever"			3:24
4.	"It Would Take a Strong Strong Man"			3:39
5.	"The Love Has Gone"	Rick Astley Dick Spatsley	Phil Harding Ian Curnow	4:20
6.	"Don't Say Goodbye"			4:11
7.	"Slipping Away"	Astley	Harding Curnow	3:52
8.	"No More Looking for Love"	Astley	Daize Washbourn	3:10
9.	"You Move Me"	Astley	Washbourn	3:40
10.	"When I Fall in Love"	Edward Heyman Victor Young		2:59

2010 expanded remaster

Disc one (bonus tracks)

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
11.	"When You Gonna" (7″ mix) (credited to Rick & Lisa)	Ian Curnow Phil Harding Astley	3:32
12.	"Just Good Friends"	Astley	3:45
13.	"I'll Never Set You Free"	Astley	3:34
14.	"When You Gonna" (extended mix) (credited to Rick & Lisa)		7:32
15.	"Never Gonna Give You Up" (Cake mix)		5:48
16.	"Whenever You Need Somebody" (Lonely Hearts mix)		7:34
17.	"Together Forever" (Lover's Leap extended remix)		7:05

Disc two (The Remixes)

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Whenever You Need Somebody" (7″ mix)	3:32
2.	"Together Forever" (Lover's Leap mix)	3:52
3.	"When You Gonna" (Borough Anarchy mix (credited to Rick & Lisa))	3:24
4.	"Never Gonna Give You Up" (Escape from Newton mix)	6:25
5.	"Whenever You Need Somebody" (Rick Sets It Off mix)	7:54
6.	"Together Forever" (House of Love mix)	6:55
7.	"It Would Take a Strong Strong Man" (Matt's Jazzy Guitar mix)	7:47
8.	"When You Gonna" (Home Boy mix (credited to Rick & Lisa))	5:48
9.	"Never Gonna Give You Up" (Escape to New York mix)	7:02
10.	"Whenever You Need Somebody" (XK150 mix)	4:39
11.	"When You Gonna" (bonus beats mix (credited to Rick & Lisa))	4:46
12.	"Never Gonna Give You Up" (instrumental)	6:18
13.	"Whenever You Need Somebody" (instrumental)	3:51
14.	"It Would Take a Strong Strong Man" (instrumental)	3:32

2022 Remaster

Disc one (remastered original album, B-sides, and reimagined versions of the original singles from the album)

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Never Gonna Give You Up" (2022 remaster)			3:33
2.	"Whenever You Need Somebody" (2022 remaster)			3:53
3.	"Together Forever" (2022 remaster)			3:25
4.	"It Would Take a Strong Strong Man" (2022 remaster)			3:40
5.	"The Love Has Gone" (2022 remaster)	Rick Astley	Phil Harding Ian Curnow	4:20
6.	"Don't Say Goodbye" (2022 remaster)			4:09
7.	"Slipping Away" (2022 remaster)	Astley	Harding Curnow	3:52
8.	"No More Looking for Love" (2022 remaster)	Astley	Daize Washbourn	3:12
9.	"You Move Me" (2022 remaster)	Astley	Washbourn	3:42
10.	"When I Fall in Love" (2022 remaster)	Edward Heyman Victor Young	Stock Aitken Waterman	3:03
11.	"My Arms Keep Missing You"			3:14
12.	"I'll Never Set You Free" (7″ mix)		Astley	3:26
13.	"Just Good Friends"	Astley		3:50
14.	"Never Gonna Give You Up" (Pianoforte)			3:29
15.	"Together Forever" (Reimagined)			4:01
16.	"Whenever You Need Somebody" (Reimagined)			4:00
17.	"When I Fall in Love" (Reimagined)	Heyman Young		3:37

Disc two (remixes and instrumentals)

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Never Gonna Give You Up" (Phil Harding 12″ mix)	7:24
2.	"Together Forever" (Lover's Leap remix)	3:20
3.	"My Arms Keep Missing You" (The "Where's Harry" remix)	3:15
4.	"Whenever You Need Somebody" (XK 150 mix)	3:52
5.	"My Arms Keep Missing You" (Bruno's remix)	6:15
6.	"Never Gonna Give You Up" (Cake mix)	5:46
7.	"Whenever You Need Somebody" (Lonely Hearts mix)	7:34
8.	"My Arms Keep Missing You" (No L mix)	6:46
9.	"Never Gonna Give You Up" (Escape from Newton mix)	6:30
10.	"Together Forever" (House of Love mix)	6:57
11.	"Whenever You Need Somebody" (Rick Sets It Off mix)	7:57
12.	"Never Gonna Give You Up" (instrumental)	3:34
13.	"It Would Take a Strong Strong Man" (instrumental)	3:39
14.	"Whenever You Need Somebody" (instrumental)	3:50

2022 remaster (digital)

Track listing per Apple Music ^[14]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Never Gonna Give You Up" (2022 remaster)			3:33
2.	"Whenever You Need Somebody" (2022 remaster)			3:53
3.	"Together Forever" (2022 remaster)			3:25
4.	"It Would Take a Strong Strong Man" (2022 remaster)			3:40
5.	"The Love Has Gone" (2022 remaster)	Rick Astley	Phil Harding Ian Curnow	4:20
6.	"Don't Say Goodbye" (2022 remaster)			4:09
7.	"Slipping Away" (2022 remaster)	Astley	Harding Curnow	3:52
8.	"No More Looking for Love" (2022 remaster)	Astley	Daize Washbourn	3:12
9.	"You Move Me" (2022 remaster)	Astley	Washbourn	3:42
10.	"When I Fall in Love" (2022 remaster)	Edward Heyman Victor Young		3:03
11.	"My Arms Keep Missing You"			3:14
12.	"I'll Never Set You Free" (7″ mix)		Astley	3:26
13.	"Just Good Friends"	Astley		3:50
14.	"Never Gonna Give You Up" (Pianoforte)			3:29
15.	"Together Forever" (Reimagined)			4:01
16.	"Whenever You Need Somebody" (Reimagined)			4:00
17.	"When I Fall in Love" (Reimagined)	Heyman Young		3:37
18.	"Never Gonna Give You Up" (Phil Harding 12″ mix)			7:24
19.	"Together Forever" (Lover's Leap remix)			3:20
20.	"Whenever You Need Somebody" (radio edit)			3:26
21.	"My Arms Keep Missing You" (The "Where's Harry" remix)			3:15
22.	"Whenever You Need Somebody" (XK150 mix)			3:52
23.	"My Arms Keep Missing You" (Bruno's remix)			6:15
24.	"Never Gonna Give You Up" (Cake mix)			5:46
25.	"Whenever You Need Somebody" (Lonely Hearts mix)			7:34
26.	"My Arms Keep Missing You" (No L mix)			6:46
27.	"Never Gonna Give You Up" (Escape from Newton mix)			6:30
28.	"Together Forever" (House of Love Mix)			6:57
29.	"Whenever You Need Somebody" (Rick Sets It Off mix)			7:57
30.	"Never Gonna Give You Up" (Escape to New York mix)			7:00
31.	"Together Forever" (Lover's Leap extended mix)			3:20
32.	"It Would Take a Strong Strong Man" (Matt's Jazzy Guitar mix)			7:46
33.	"My Arms Keep Missing You" (dub)			4:55
34.	"Never Gonna Give You Up" (instrumental)			3:34
35.	"It Would Take a Strong Strong Man" (instrumental)			3:39
36.	"Whenever You Need Somebody" (instrumental)			3:50

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Whenever You Need Somebody. ^[15]

Musicians

• Rick Astley – vocals; guitars on "No More Looking for Love" and "You Move Me"
• Mike Stock – keyboards
• Matt Aitken – keyboards, guitars
• Paul Cox – guitar on "Together Forever"
• A. Linn – drums (e.g.: Linn 9000 on "Never Gonna Give You Up" and LinnDrum on "It Would Take a Strong Strong Man")
• Ian Curnow – Fairlight programming; keyboards on "The Love Has Gone" and "Slipping Away"
• Daize Washbourn – keyboards and drums on "No More Looking for Love" and "You Move Me"
• Gary Barnacle – saxophone on "Slipping Away"
• Shirley Lewis, Dee Lewis, Mae McKenna, Suzanne Rhatigan – backing vocals

Technical

• Stock Aitken Waterman – production on "Never Gonna Give You Up", "Whenever You Need Somebody", "Together Forever", "It Would Take a Strong Strong Man", "Don't Say Goodbye", and "When I Fall in Love"
• Phil Harding – production and mixing on "The Love Has Gone" and "Slipping Away"
• Ian Curnow – production on "The Love Has Gone" and "Slipping Away"
• Daize Washbourn – production on "No More Looking for Love" and "You Move Me"
• Mark McGuire – engineering and mixing on "It Would Take a Strong Strong Man" and "When I Fall in Love"
• Phil Harding, Karen Hewitt, Mike Duffy, Jamie Bromfield – additional engineering
• Yoyo, Jonathan King, Peter Day, Boky, Gordon Dennis – engineering assistance
• Pete Hammond – mixing on "Never Gonna Give You Up", "Whenever You Need Somebody", "Together Forever", "Don't Say Goodbye", "No More Looking for Love", and "You Move Me"
• Paul Cox – photographer on "Never Gonna Give You Up"

Charts

Weekly charts 1987–1988 weekly chart performance for Whenever You Need Somebody Chart (1987–1988) Peak position Australian Albums (Australian Music Report) [16] [17] 1 Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [18] 3 Canada Top Albums/CDs ( RPM ) [19] 3 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [20] 2 European Albums ( Music & Media ) [21] 1 Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista) [22] 2 French Albums (IFOP) [23] 5 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [24] 1 Italian Albums ( Musica e dischi ) [25] 2 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [26] 3 Norwegian Albums (VG-lista) [27] 4 Spanish Albums (AFYVE) [28] 1 Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [29] 2 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [30] 2 UK Albums (OCC) [31] 1 US Billboard 200 [32] 10 2022 weekly chart performance for Whenever You Need Somebody Chart (2022) Peak position Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [33] 179 Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE) [34] 100

Year-end charts 1987 year-end chart performance for Whenever You Need Somebody Chart (1987) Position UK Albums (Gallup) [5] 7 1988 year-end chart performance for Whenever You Need Somebody Chart (1988) Position Australian Albums (ARIA) [35] 4 Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [36] 10 Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM) [37] 4 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [38] 74 European Albums (Music & Media) [39] 5 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [40] 7 Norwegian Winter Period Albums (VG-lista) [41] 12 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [42] 30 UK Albums (Gallup) [43] 39 US Billboard 200 [44] 15

Certifications

Certifications for Whenever You Need Somebody

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [35]	3× Platinum	210,000^
Canada (Music Canada) [45]	4× Platinum	400,000^
Finland (Musiikkituottajat) [46]	Gold	25,253 [46]
France (SNEP) [47]	2× Gold	200,000*
Germany (BVMI) [48]	Platinum	500,000^
Hong Kong (IFPI Hong Kong) [49]	Platinum	20,000*
Malaysia	—	34,000 [50]
Netherlands (NVPI) [51]	Platinum	100,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ) [52]	Platinum	15,000^
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [53]	3× Platinum	300,000^
Sweden (GLF) [54]	Gold	50,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland) [55]	Platinum	50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) [56]	4× Platinum	1,200,000^
United States (RIAA) [57]	2× Platinum	2,000,000^
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

1. Henderson, Alex. "Whenever You Need Somebody – Rick Astley". AllMusic . Retrieved 20 November 2019.
2. "Music Week" (PDF). p. 30.
3. "Biography". Rickastley.co.uk. Archived from the original on 10 February 2010. Retrieved 12 December 2008.
4. Untitled. albertocomesana.es. Retrieved 8 January 2010.^{[ permanent dead link ‍]}
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6. "Whenever You Need Somebody: Music". Amazon . Retrieved 12 May 2014.
7. Kirsch, Michele (14 November 1987). "Rick Astley: When [ sic ] You Need Someone". New Musical Express . p. 35.
8. Heath, Chris (18 November – 1 December 1987). "Albums" (PDF). Smash Hits . Vol. 9, no. 22. p. 86. ISSN   0260-3004 . Retrieved 21 November 2023– via World Radio History.
9. Christgau, Robert (29 November 1988). "Christgau's Consumer Guide: Turkey Shoot". The Village Voice . Retrieved 26 March 2017.
10. Hamilton, James (28 November 1987). "BPM by James Hamilton" (PDF). Record Mirror . London: Spotlight Publications Ltd. p. 19. ISSN   0144-5804 . Retrieved 31 October 2023– via World Radio History.
11. Keats, Carmen (2 January 1988). "Rick Astley - Whenever You Need Somebody" . Melody Maker . Vol. 64, no. 1. p. 28. Retrieved 5 March 2024– via Internet Archive.
12. L., D. (28 November 1987). "LP Reviews" (PDF). Music Week . p. 26. Retrieved 11 September 2023– via World Radio History.
13. Elliot, Mark (July 2018). "Top 15 Stock Aitken Waterman Albums". Classic Pop . Archived from the original on 10 August 2019. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
14. "Whenever You Need Somebody (Deluxe Edition - 2022 Remaster)" . Retrieved 25 March 2022.
15. Whenever You Need Somebody (liner notes). Rick Astley. RCA Records. 1987. PD 71529.
16. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 20. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
17. "Hits of the World" (PDF). Billboard . Vol. 100, no. 16. 16 April 1988. p. 63. ISSN   0006-2510 – via World Radio History.
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21. "European Hot 100 Albums" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 5, no. 3. 9 January 1988. p. 21. OCLC   29800226 – via World Radio History.
22. Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. ISBN   978-951-1-21053-5.
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35. "ARIA Top 50 Albums for 1988". Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved 16 March 2021.
36. "Jahreshitparade Alben 1988". austriancharts.at (in German). Retrieved 29 January 2018.
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39. "1988 Year End Eurocharts – Top 100 Albums" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 6, no. 52/1. 1 January 1989. p. 31. OCLC   29800226 – via World Radio History.
40. "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts – 1988" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
41. "Topp 40 Album Vinter 1988" (in Norwegian). VG-lista. Archived from the original on 16 October 2017. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
42. "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1988". hitparade.ch (in German). Retrieved 16 March 2021.
43. "Top 100 Albums – Year-End Chart 1988" (PDF). Music Week Awards. Music Week . 4 March 1989. p. 8. ISSN   0265-1548 – via World Radio History.
44. "Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1988". Billboard. Archived from the original on 29 January 2018. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
45. "Canadian album certifications – Rick Astley – Whenever You Need Somebody". Music Canada. 30 November 1988.
46. "Rick Astley" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland.
47. "French album certifications – Rick Astley – Whenever You Need Somebody" (in French). InfoDisc.Select RICK ASTLEY and click OK. 
48. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Rick Astley; 'Whenever You Need Somebody')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
49. "IFPIHK Gold Disc Award − 1990". IFPI Hong Kong.
50. Murthi, R.S. (29 November 1988). "Sale of international music releases up". New Straits Times. p. 20. Retrieved 23 March 2025.
51. "Dutch album certifications – Rick Astley – Whenever You Need Somebody" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers . Retrieved 4 August 2018.Enter Whenever You Need Somebody in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 1988 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".
52. "New Zealand album certifications – Rick Astley – Whenever You Need Somebody". Recorded Music NZ. 24 April 1988. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
53. Salaverrie, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (PDF) (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Madrid: Fundación Autor/SGAE. p. 923. ISBN   84-8048-639-2 . Retrieved 3 August 2018.
54. "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 1987−1998" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. 20 January 1988. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 May 2011.
55. "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Whenever You Need Somebody')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
56. "British album certifications – Rick Astley – Whenever You Need Somebody". British Phonographic Industry. 3 June 1988. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
57. "American album certifications – Rick Astley – Whenever You Need Somebody". Recording Industry Association of America. 13 March 1991.